Lockdown Protocol

The Intel Core i9-14900K paired with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D represents one of the most potent combinations tested for Lockdown Protocol, delivering frame rates that far exceed the 60 FPS playability threshold across every resolution and preset tested. The data shows a system that is heavily GPU-bound at higher resolutions, while the CPU’s strong single-thread performance becomes more relevant at lower settings where frame rates approach 370 FPS. This analysis breaks down the measured performance, component roles, and how this combo compares to other hardware in the database.

FAQ

*Q: What is the highest average FPS recorded for this combo in Lockdown Protocol?*

A: The highest average FPS recorded is 369 FPS at 1920x1080 resolution with Low settings. This is the only preset tested that exceeds 350 FPS.

Q: Does the RTX 5090 D maintain playable frame rates at 4K Ultra settings?

A: Yes. At 3840x2160 with Ultra settings, the combo achieves an average of 88 FPS, which is 28 FPS above the 60 FPS playable threshold. The verdict data confirms all four presets at 4K are playable.

Q: How does the combo rank among all tested configurations for this game?

A: The combo ranks 9th out of 3,714 tested combinations, placing it in the top 0.24% of all configurations in the database for Lockdown Protocol.

Q: What is the performance difference between the CPU and its closest rival?

A: The Intel Core i9-14900K has an average benchmark score of 79,097, which is 0.3% lower than the Intel Core i9-14900KF (79,371). The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 is 1.7% faster than the i9-14900K.

Q: What is the performance difference between the GPU and its closest rival?

A: The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D has an average benchmark score of 77,712, which is 1.1% lower than the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT (76,904). The RTX 5090 D is 1.6% faster than the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT.

Q: At which resolution does the combo show the largest performance drop from Low to Ultra settings?

A: The largest drop occurs at 1920x1080, where average FPS falls from 369 at Low to 187 at Ultra, a reduction of 182 FPS (49.3%). At 4K, the drop from Low to Ultra is 102 FPS (from 190 to 88).

CPU and GPU Roles

Benchmark results indicate a clear shift in bottleneck behavior depending on resolution and preset. At 1920x1080 with Low settings, the combo produces 369 FPS average, which suggests the CPU is the primary limiter, as the GPU is capable of far higher output at this low graphical load. The i9-14900K’s 32 threads and 6.00 GHz boost clock provide the single-thread headroom needed to push frame rates this high, but the data shows diminishing returns as resolution increases.

Moving from 1920x1080 Low to 2560x1440 Low, average FPS drops from 369 to 295, a 20.1% reduction. This scaling indicates the GPU begins to take on more responsibility at 1440p, though the CPU still has significant influence. At 2560x1440 Ultra, the combo still achieves 137 FPS, showing that even at higher settings, the CPU is not the limiting factor. The RTX 5090 D’s 32 GB of GDDR7 memory and 1.79 TB/s bandwidth provide ample headroom for 1440p rendering, allowing the CPU to remain active but not saturated.

At 3840x2160, the GPU becomes the dominant component. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 102 FPS (190 vs 88), which is proportionally smaller than the 182 FPS difference at 1080p. This suggests that at 4K, the GPU is nearly saturated even at Low settings, and the CPU’s role diminishes. The RTX 5090 D’s 104.8 TFLOPS FP32 compute and 423.6 GPixel/s pixel rate are the key metrics driving 4K performance, while the CPU’s contribution is largely limited to maintaining minimum frame times.

Preset scaling provides further insight. At 1080p, moving from Low to Medium reduces FPS by 84 (369 to 285), while Medium to High reduces it by 36 (285 to 249), and High to Ultra reduces it by 62 (249 to 187). This non-linear scaling indicates that Ultra settings introduce effects that are particularly demanding on the GPU’s shading units and ROPs, even at lower resolutions. At 4K, the scaling is more linear: Low to Medium drops 55 FPS, Medium to High drops 17 FPS, and High to Ultra drops 30 FPS, showing that the GPU is already working near its limit at 4K Medium.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 3840x2160, the most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is Ultra, which achieves an average of 88 FPS. This is 28 FPS above the playable threshold, providing a comfortable margin. The data shows that all presets at 4K are playable, but Ultra offers the highest visual quality without sacrificing playability.

At 2560x1440, Ultra settings are also the best choice, delivering 137 FPS average. This is 77 FPS above the 60 FPS threshold, indicating that the combo has substantial headroom at 1440p. The 178 FPS minimum recorded at Medium settings suggests that even the most demanding scenes stay well above playable levels.

At 1920x1080, Ultra settings produce 187 FPS average, which is 127 FPS above the playable threshold. This makes Ultra the recommended preset for 1080p gaming, as there is no need to compromise on visual quality. The 243 FPS minimum at Medium settings indicates that even in the most intense combat scenarios, the frame rate never approaches the 60 FPS floor.

Similar Performance Alternatives

For the CPU, the nearest rival is the Intel Core i9-14900KF, which has an average benchmark score of 79,371, just 0.3% higher than the i9-14900K. In Lockdown Protocol, this difference would translate to a negligible FPS variation, likely less than 2 FPS at any resolution. The Intel Core Ultra 9 290HX Plus scores 79,574, 0.6% higher, and would behave nearly identically in this game. The AMD EPYC 7413 scores 80,041, 1.2% higher, but its server-oriented architecture may not translate directly to gaming performance. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 scores 77,740, which is 1.7% lower, and would show a slight FPS deficit in CPU-bound scenarios.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 6650M XT has an average score of 76,904, which is 1.1% lower than the RTX 5090 D. Despite being a mobile-class GPU, its performance is close enough that it would produce nearly identical frame rates in Lockdown Protocol. The AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT scores 78,940, 1.6% higher, and would deliver slightly higher FPS. The NVIDIA Tesla P100 variants score 79,396 and 79,605, which are 2.1% and 2.4% higher respectively, but these are compute-oriented cards without display outputs, making them impractical for gaming despite similar raw scores.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the combo delivers its highest frame rates. Low settings produce 369 FPS average, followed by Medium at 285 FPS (with a minimum of 243 and maximum of 328), High at 249 FPS, and Ultra at 187 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra is 182 FPS, showing a wide performance envelope across presets.

At 2560x1440, the frame rates remain high. Low settings achieve 295 FPS average, Medium drops to 209 FPS (minimum 178, maximum 241), High produces 183 FPS, and Ultra delivers 137 FPS. The scaling from 1080p to 1440p shows a 20-25% reduction across all presets, which is consistent with the increased pixel count.

At 3840x2160, the performance is still strong but shows clear GPU limitations. Low settings average 190 FPS, Medium averages 135 FPS (minimum 115, maximum 155), High averages 118 FPS, and Ultra averages 88 FPS. The gap between 1440p and 4K is substantial: Ultra drops from 137 to 88 FPS, a 35.8% reduction, which reflects the 4K resolution’s demand on the GPU’s pixel fill rate and memory bandwidth.

The Verdict

This PC can absolutely run Lockdown Protocol at playable frame rates across all tested configurations. The verdict data confirms that all four presets at all three resolutions clear the 60 FPS threshold. At 3840x2160, the best settings are Ultra with 88 FPS average, which is 28 FPS above the playable threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra delivers 137 FPS, providing a 77 FPS margin. At 1920x1080, Ultra produces 187 FPS, a 127 FPS margin.

The minimum FPS data, available for Medium settings, shows 243 FPS at 1080p, 178 FPS at 1440p, and 115 FPS at 4K. Even the lowest recorded minimum at 4K Medium is 55 FPS above the playable threshold, indicating that this combo never dips below playable levels in any tested scenario.

How This Combo Ranks

The Intel Core i9-14900K + NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 D combination ranks 9th out of 3,714 tested combos in Lockdown Protocol. This places it in the top 0.24% of all configurations, which is consistent with its performance profile. The 88 FPS at 4K Ultra and 187 FPS at 1080p Ultra are both well above the 60 FPS threshold, and the combo’s ability to maintain high frame rates across all presets suggests that it is not bottlenecked in any meaningful way.

The rank of 9 is notable because it places this combo ahead of 99.76% of tested configurations, despite the GPU’s relatively modest percentile ranking of 92 among all GPUs. This suggests that the CPU-GPU pairing is well balanced for this game, with neither component dragging down the other. The i9-14900K’s 95th percentile ranking among all CPUs complements the GPU’s 92nd percentile ranking, creating a system that performs near the top of the database.